Worsening electricity shortages fuel growing global crisis
By Tamsin Carlisle
Last Updated: July 24. 2010 6:50PM UAE / July 24. 2010 2:50PM GMT
Global electricity demand is growing again after a lull last year related to the economic slowdown. The result is more countries face electricity shortages. This is not just a matter of insufficient fuel or high energy prices as the world has a glut of natural gas, the fuel of choice for thermal power generation. Instead, it mainly reflects poor government planning and neglect of essential infrastructure. It also reflects the accelerated urbanisation of the developing world, which has become a hallmark of the 21st century. … Electricity problems are not confined to the developing world. Australia and North America have emerged as advanced economies in need of a great deal of spending to shore up creaky power generation and transmission networks that are showing their age. Whether their economies can accommodate such spending is an open question. Europe is on the case, spurred by concerns on energy security and climate change. Last month’s brief spat between Russia and Belarus over gas pricing was enough to revive EU jitters regarding over-dependence on Russian gas. Belarus is one of two eastern European transit nations for the 25 per cent of Europe’s gas supply that comes from Russia. The other is Ukraine, which in January of last year cut off 20 per cent of the EU’s total gas supply for three bitterly cold weeks over a contractual dispute with Moscow. The euro zone, however, is mired in a deep financial crisis that could potentially upset Europe’s entrenched renewable-energy agenda. Germany, Italy and Spain have all announced or implemented cuts to subsidy programmes for renewable energy development. In the developing world, violence related to electricity shortages is on the rise. Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Senegal and Ivory Coast have all recently witnessed furious public protests over power problems. …
Worsening electricity shortages fuel growing crisis via The Oil Drum
